Veggizombie Pod (Pathfinder RPG)

Following is a writeup for the Veggizombie Pod, a loathsome mobile plant that hunts down living humanoids in order to use them in its reproductive cycle! It is both a self-standing monster entry and bonus content for Skirmisher Publishing’s "Three Alien Vegetable Monstrosities" supplement for the Pathfinder RPG. 

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Veggizombie Pod CR 7

XP 3,200

N Huge Plant

Init +2 ; Senses Perception +12

Defense

AC 20 (-2 Dex, -2 size, +14 natural armor)

hp 114 (10d8+70)

Fort +11, Ref +0, Will +2

Defensive Abilities plant traits

Offense

Speed 5'

Melee 4 tentacles +13 3d6+8 (grab)

Space 15 ft , Reach 20 ft

Special Attacks Attach Pod

Statistics

Str 26, Dex 6, Con 22, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 10

Base Atk +5, CMB +15 (+19 grab), CMD 23

Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Toughness

Skills Perception +12, Sense Motive +2

Languages none

Ecology

Environment any swamp or forest

Organization patch (veggizombie pod and 1-10 veggizombies, and 4-10 lesser veggizombie pods)

Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Attach Pod (Ex): As a full-round action, against a grappled foe, a veggiezombie pod can attach a mass of plant matter to the back of the head of a living creature, which burrows into its brain. Each round, this pod deals 1d4 Constitution damage (no save). When a creature is reduced to 0 Constitution it dies. The target can remove the pod with a DC 15 Strength check (an ally can do so with a DC 10 Strength check) which deals 1d4 Constitution damage (no save). 

Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid creature that is slain by the Attach Pod ability becomes a veggizombie in 1d4 rounds. Spawn so created gain the veggizombie template, and are under direct control of the Veggizombie Pod that created it. 

Veggizombie Pods are notorious in the swamps and fens of the known worlds for gravitating towards inhabited settlements, and taking control of their members one by one. Looking like large flowers, Veggizombie Pods are actually intelligent (even if on an animals level), and have a very unique way of propagating their kind. Once a creature gets near them, they lash out with their tentacles, grabbing their target and attaching a pod of vegetable matter to the back of their neck. This pod sends small tentacles into their brain stem taking control, and slowly shifting their DNA, turning them into a mobile plant. Veggizombies then are used by the Pod to protect and feed itself.

Veggizombie Template

A veggizombie is a rotting corpse of a creature in which a pod has been attached, and bored into the brain. A veggizombie is not a zombie in the truest sense of the word, but is actually a plant. Treat a veggizombie as a standard zombie, but with the following changes.

Plant Traits (Ex): A veggiezombie is treated as a plant, not undead, for the resolution of magical effects and attacks. A plant creature possesses the following traits; Low-light vision, immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms), immunity to paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep effects, and stunning, and plants breathe and eat, but do not sleep.

Improved Grapple (Ex): A veggizombie gains Improved Grapple as a bonus feat, even if it does not meet the prerequisites.

Rotted Away (Su): After 1d6 weeks of “life” a veggizombie turns into a lesser veggizombie pod (treat as a 1 HD version of a veggizombie pod). After a few weeks, Veggizombies rot away into a smaller version of the Veggizombie Pod. A lesser veggizombie pod roots itself in the ground and grow up into a full plant to repeat the cycle. After 1d6 of "life" the veggizombies turn into 1 HD versions of the pod and, over time, grow into full versions.